Once upon a time there was a little boy called Smolíček who lived with a deer with golden antlers. The deer took care of Smolíček, but always warned him not to open the door to anyone when he was home alone.
One day, when the deer had gone out to graze as usual, there was a sweet voice outside the door:
“Smolíček, sweet little boy, open the door, we’ll just stick two fingers in, warm ourselves up a little and leave.”
The little boy remembered the deer’s warning and didn’t open the door. When the deer returned from grazing, Smolíček told him what happened. The deer praised him and reminded him again not to open the door, especially not to the witches who lived in the cave because they would kidnap him.
A few days passed and Smolíček was home alone again, and there were again pleading, sweet voices outside the door: “Smolíček, sweet little boy, open the door, we’ll just stick two fingers in, warm ourselves up a little and leave.”
Smolíček didn’t open the door. But the witches that were hiding behind the door did not give up and kept begging him. Smolíček was dying to see them and help them warm up a little. Finally, they talked him into opening the door a crack. The witches stuck their long white fingers in, then their whole hand, and whoops – they were in. They grabbed Smolíček and ran away with him.
Little Smolíček cried unhappily: “Oh my beloved deer, where is your greenest prey? The witches are taking your little boy away!”
Fortunately, the deer was grazing nearby and immediately ran and saved him from the witches. At home, however, he scolded him and sternly ordered him never to open the door to the witches again.
Some time passed and the caves did not appear for a long time. He almost forgot what had happened. But one day, sweet, gentle voices came from behind the door, begging Smolíček to open the door. “No way,” said Smolíček, “you’ll kidnap me again.” But the caves wailed and moaned, “Just two little fingers, Smolíček, we’ll freeze to death!” When at last Smolíček succumbed to them, he opened the door just enough for two fingers. Long pale fingers slipped in, and in a moment whole palms were inside, and suddenly the witches came into the room. In a flash, they grabbed Smolíček and were off with him.
Little Smolíček moaned like last time: “Oh my beloved deer, where is your greenest prey? The witches are taking your little boy away!” But alas, no one came this time. For the deer was grazing too far away that day to hear Smolíček’s call.
The witches took Smolíček to their cave, where they fed him. Not out of the goodness of their hearts, of course, but so that they could eat him when he was properly fattened. The little boy got a little chubbier every day. One day, the witches wanted him to show them his finger. The little boy showed his little finger and the witches cut it a little to see if it was fat enough. And since it was, they were planning to eat him.
Desperate little boy decided to call his friend, the deer, for the last time: “Oh my beloved deer, where is your greenest prey? The witches are taking your little boy away!”
What luck! The deer was looking for him at the time, and was just near the cave. He heard Smolíček’s call and ran to the cave as quickly as he could. He took Smolíček on his antlers and carried him back home. The little boy never opened the door to the witches again, they could promise whatever they wanted. He knew he couldn’t tempt fate forever. Next time it might not really work out.
